Enjoying A Smokey Old Fashioned

WITH MICHAEL THANANAN
FROM NOI THAI CUISINE

Noi Thai’s take on an Old Fashioned is first barrel-aged in-house for three weeks — which Michael Thananan explains allows the drink to reach optimum smoothness. Then it’s served up in a smoke-filled bottle. According to Thananan — who has tried many different versions of the classic cocktail — this iteration is one of a kind. “I’m an Old Fashioned lover,” he says. “I just wanted to elevate it, try something new, something better.”

WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION IN CREATING THIS DRINK?

I like to try different bars and different drinks on the Mainland. I’ve been following Murray (Stentson), he won a bartender of the year award for the longest time in the Seattle area.

I went to one of the bars over there that he helped start and tried this one drink that had smoke in it, so I wanted to try something similar but different.

WHAT IS IN YOUR LIQUOR CABINET?

Whiskey and wine.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING A BARTENDER?

You get to try out many different things; you are always learning. There is always someone who will make a better drink, a better garnish, or a different technique — it’s always learning and being able to pass it on to my coworkers. And other people get to try my drinks. It’s always fun.